Minn. man pleads guilty to conspiracy

A Minneapolis man pleaded guilty to providing material support in a conspiracy to murder, kidnap and maim Ethiopians in Somalia, the Department of Justice said. Omer Abdi Mohamed, 26, also known as "Brother Omer" and "Galeyr," entered his guilty plea in federal court Monday, the Department of Justice said in a release. In his statement, Mohamed admitted being part of a group that conspired to enlist young Somali men in Minneapolis to travel to Somalia to fight Ethiopian troops, who were there assisting the internationally-recognized Transitional Federal Government of Somalia. Mohamed admitted he helped the men plan their trips, including buying their plane tickets, knowing that once in Somalia they would be killing, kidnapping or maiming Ethiopian soldiers. Mohamed further admitted he helped raise funds to assist in the mobilization of the young men to Somalia from Minneapolis, often lying to donors, telling them the money was for Somali relief efforts. This is the sixth guilty plea to come out of the "Operation Rhino" investigation, which has centered on young Somali men from Minneapolis who have been recruited to join the al-Shabaab forces in Somalia as early as October 2007. Mohamed faces as much as 15 years in prison and lifelong supervision after release. A sentencing date has not been set.